Book-Mad-Mum

  Maybe Next Christmas" by Emma Heatherington was a delightful festive read that truly delivered in the end. While I found the beginning a little slow, once the story picked up, I was completely hooked and couldn’t put it down! Emma's storytelling and knack for building relatable, heartfelt characters shines through, making the journey worth it. The Christmas charm, along with themes of love and second chances, make this one feel as cozy as her other novels. Definitely recommended for fans of Christmas romances or anyone looking for a feel-good, warm festive read!

  Cassie O'Hara, a New Yorker, has been haunted by the memory of being left at the altar, and especially finds the Christmas season particularly difficult. This year, after an impulsive conversation with her friend June, she decides to escape the Big Apple and spend the holidays in a quaint village in the UK. However, upon arriving at her rental cottage, she finds not the cozy, firelit haven that she imagined, but a dilapidated, dust-covered wreck—with no welcome basket of goodies in sight! Now faced with the dilemma of either enduring the festive season or heading back home, Cassie is torn. Enter two charming men: Charles, the dashing "lord of the manor," and Ryan, a lively Irishman who seems to have done more than kiss the Blarney Stone!   As someone with strong Irish roots, with parents from a small village in Cork, I absolutely loved this book. It has everything you want in a Christmas story: twinkling lights, snow, and just the right touch of romance. I was so im...

  Sarah Morgan has done it again with The Christmas Cottage ! This heartwarming and enchanting festive romance set in the picturesque, snow-covered English countryside is filled with everything I love about her writing…relatable characters, a fabulous setting (in the Cotswolds), and that perfect mix of romance and family dynamics that will tug at the heartstrings. Workaholic Imogen is very close to burn out – work is her everything and leaves no time for a home life, so she invents one – an imaginary boyfriend, Jack, and even a Golden Retriever dog called Midas. She’s never had the perfect family Christmas, but no one needs to know that. When she is told by her boss to take a month’s annual leave, client Dorothy offers her rental cottage as the perfect getaway. However, things take a twist and secrets unfold. Will Imogen ever get the perfect Christmas she has always longed for? Without giving too much away, the plot twist about halfway through threw me completely off-guard and ...

  In The Commuter , we follow Rachel, who has just woken from a coma after a car accident, only to be told that her wealthy husband has been murdered in their family home. As Rachel begins to recover, she experiences flashbacks, including memories of a mysterious fellow commuter—a man whose name she doesn’t even know. Strangely, since her husband’s death, this man has vanished, and now the police suspect that Rachel may be involved in the murder. As the investigation deepens, Rachel finds herself racing against time to uncover the truth before she is wrongfully imprisoned for a crime she knows she didn’t commit. The Commuter is a psychological thriller that explores suburban life, blending suspense, deception, and complex relationships. While the story maintains tension throughout, I found the plot became quite complicated toward the end, and I did feel lost at times. Some parts left me feeling a bit detached, but overall, it was an engaging read. Rating: 3.5/5

 I’ve read most of Jo Thomas’ books, and every time I think she’s written her best, she releases another one that tops the last! I don’t want to sound clichéd, but A Recipe for Christmas is definitely her best yet—and I absolutely adore all her books! The story follows Clara, who feels stuck while life moves on for her friends. So, when the opportunity for voluntary redundancy arises at work and her new boyfriend suggests moving to Switzerland with him, she jumps at the chance. Clara has always dreamed of the perfect Christmas—family, friends, festive cheer, and delicious food—so what could be more perfect than a Yuletide in the Swiss Alps? Looking to fill her time, Clara signs up for a chocolate-making course, only to discover she’s in over her head. As her relationship starts to fizzle, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever have the Christmas she’s dreamed of. Once again, Jo Thomas delivers wonderful storytelling, drawing readers into the heart of the setting. You can vividly pic...

  In The Little Irish Farm , Jess relocates from New Zealand to Ireland, pursuing her dream of becoming a newspaper columnist. Her fascination with children's fairy tales leads her to collect these enchanting books. When she discovers one with a poignant inscription, she feels inspired to write the story she has longed to find. Determined to uncover the identity of the little girl behind the inscription, Jess's quest takes her to a farmhouse in a quaint Irish village, where she unravels a heartbreaking twist. Grumpy farmer Owen reveals the tragic story of his little sister, leaving Jess to question whether this marks the beginning of their journey together or the end. This beautifully crafted narrative weaves together elements of joy and sorrow, offering a poignant exploration of life and loss. Highly enjoyable, The Little Irish Farm will resonate with anyone who cherishes the power of storytelling.

  Holding the Reins is Paisley Hope's debut novel, and what a debut it is! The story follows Ce-Ce, the main character, as she returns to her family's ranch after the end of a toxic relationship. Back home, she finds herself drawn to Nash Carter, a family friend and retired ice hockey star who now owns the town's ice rink. The chemistry between Ce-Ce and Nash is undeniable, but there’s a twist—Nash is her brother’s best friend, complicating their budding romance. The tension between following their hearts and respecting family boundaries adds depth to their relationship and keeps readers hooked. I absolutely loved this book. It has just the right amount of steaminess, balanced with heartfelt moments and a charming small-town setting. I hope we hear more from the townsfolk of Laurel Creek in future books! Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

    The Palace Girls Secret is a story of life in Buckingham Palace and the staff within its walls set in 1952. The story centres around the telephone exchange in the Royal Household and especially telephonist Helen Hill, but it also includes sub plots of her friends who work in different parts of the palace On a daily basis, Helen hears many private conversations which must be kept confidential. When she meets Jake, a dashing journalist he wins her over with his charm and brings to her hectic life a sense of joy and freedom that she hasn’t had in years - but is he all he is cracked up to be? This is a beautifully written and thoroughly researched novel that offers a fresh perspective on life behind the walls of Buckingham Palace. When I finished reading it, and googled Emma Royal, I discovered that there is a previous book called The Palace Girls which I’ve now bought to read as I loved the characters and want them to be part...

  Isabelle Broom whisks you away to the sun-drenched island of Majorca in her new book The Orange House. The spirit and beauty of the island is captured on the pages, making the book come alive and pulling you into the story. This is an emotional journey for Violet and Henry whose son Luke is dealing with metal health issues, but this is dealt with in a very sensitive manner. However, while the setting and character development are exceptional, the pacing of the novel occasionally felt slow, with some sections dragging slightly, but that could be down to my impatience to know what was going to happen! Fans of emotional, character-driven stories set against stunning backdrops will find much to love in this book. A solid four-star read! Top of Form Bottom of Form    

  “Love In Provence” returns to the beautiful lavender fields of Provence where, once again we meet Del at harvest season – the busiest time of the year. As she looks forward to welcoming a new group of pickers from all over the world some bad news turns her world upside down. Then Del’s partner Fabien is given the chance to rejoin his old band for one last tour – and Del wants him to seize the day. But is sending him away the right decision? As the pickers arrive and the harvest gets underway, Del feels the mounting pressure of trying to keep everyone happy. Even her cooking – the thing she loves best – is suffering. Until the pickers, missing home and keen to find comfort through a home-cooked meal, share their recipes with her...and a supper club is born. Jo has a knack for creating heartwarming stories where she transports her readers to the picturesque fields of lavender and quaint village markets, making the sights, sounds, and smells of Provence almost tangible. "Lo...

  Lauren Kirkham is a high flyer, she is now living through an unplanned pregnancy -solo as her boyfriend has decided he does not want to be involved with the baby. Needing a break, she goes to visit her best friend Anna in Polkerran for a holiday. On the first day she bumps into local handyman Danie is who building his own house on the cliffs and his story is being followed by a “Grand Designs” type tv programme. When the tv company arrive to film, they are expecting a happy couple however Daniel has recently split up with his girlfriend and needs a fake live in one instead and so Lauren and Daniel join forces, but can you really fake love? I have to say before I picked up this book I was in a complete reading slump. Several books before hadn't grabbed me and it was really getting me down - this book proved to be my reading saviour!!! It reignited my reading mojo! Straight away Lauren and Anna and all the locals felt like friends of mine, I could completely relate to them, a...

Kate is all set to marry dental surgeon Norman and as the ultimate planner/control freak she has planned everything to a “T”! With her three best friends, they head off on the hen part in Vegas – and the planning and itinerary fly out the window, especially when on the first night, she bumps into her ex Trevor, who is now a successful DJ. After far too many drinks and blacking out, Kate wakes up the next morning to find that in her drunken stupor she ended up marrying Trevor! Now all her perfect plans for the wedding to Norman have flown out the wedding. Trevour has agreed to sign annulment papers if Kate agrees to go out on three last dates with him. With her fairy tale wedding hanging in the balance, Kate agrees to his plan but will it end in happy ever after? This book is absolutely hilarious!! I have often seen on Tik Tok and reading reviews of various books that people say "this was a real laugh out loud book for me!" but I've never experienced that until now!! I...

    Amelia is found on a remote beach by fishermen and her heart has stopped.   Her sister Lexi who works in publishing in New York   returns home to be at her sisters bedside. Amelia, however starts remembering her “husband Sam” and tells of their perfect love story. Except none of these things ever happened, and Lexi is certain that Amelia hasn’t even met this guy. Hoping to help her sister recover, Lexi goes about recreating the false memories of her sister by taking photos with local vet Nick who looks exactly like Sam.   While out on the “dates” Lexi finds herself falling for Nick, but can she fall in love with her sisters “husband” without breaking her heart. Once I got into this story - I really enjoyed it, however it did feel like I'd read something similar before, but it was very enjoyable and I found myself turning the pages faster and faster as the story progressed.        

          My Sisters Baby written by Louise Guy and published by Boldwood Books     Sisters Liv and Toni were once inseparable. While their parents focused on Mandy, their little sister with special needs, the two older sisters leaned on each other for love, support and security. When they were in their teens, and Liv needed a lifesaving operation, it was Toni who stepped up to the plate and helped her. As they grew up, their lives took different paths. They live in different cities and rarely see each other. But now it’s Toni who needs help from Liv. Because she’s desperate for a baby… When Liv finds herself in a situation where she could help Toni fulfil her dream, she wants more than anything to say yes. But Liv is keeping a dark secret. And she can’t help but wonder – is giving a baby to her sister the right thing to do… or will it destroy their family forever? I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but very quic...

  Opera singer Maria Callas known as “ la divina” with her fabulous voice was born with note only a gift of singing, but also the drama and beauty needed to succeed on the worldwide operatic stages. Sadly, liked a bird in a gilded cage, Maria’s life is lonely, and although surrounded by people and her husband she feels isolated. When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she's found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. And then, suddenly, it's over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces. This is a fictional account based on true events, think of The...

        When the story starts, we meet six year old Flora who lives in poverty with her evil Aunt and Uncle. To scratch a living, they use little Flora as a pickpocket. One day in London, they chance upon the wealthy Stewart family with their daughter Arabella who is a similar age to Flora. A deal is struck and the Stewarts agree to take on Flora as a companion for Arabella.   Living the life of a lady and gaining an education we are introduced to a varied cast of characters as life for Flora takes a few twists and turns.   I have read a few Dilly Court books previously and this one was another enjoyable read leaving you wondering where the story was going to take you next. Thoroughly enjoyable.  

  I've always been a massive fan of Jill Mansell, in fact I think I've read every one of her books so far. When I heard she had written another story, I Was very excited and knew I had to read it immediately! We join the story at a church on a beautiful day, the sun is shining and the   bride is radiant as her cars pulls up at the church, only for her to hear that age old cliché “drive around the block.” Initially we're unsure as to what is happening as we know the groom is at the altar waiting with anticipation to marry the love of his life. So it's a shock when we hear that it’s the vicar who is conducting the service who is the one that has fled! Lottie and Max are two of the guests in attendance at the wedding that never way, but they haven't seen each other for many years. Over the course of the story we learn all about their history together, but as well as that we hear the stories of other people connected to the wedding, either guests, or those who turne...

Firstly I'm going to start this review by saying how much I loved and adored this book. You therefore can’t begin to imagine my delight when I found out that it is the first in a new series! (Skips with delight!) It’s 1940, war is starting to ramp up and we meet Cordelia, she comes from a well-to-do family and has to tell her snobby mother that she has just got a job as the Head Librarian at Silver Town library in the East End of London in 1940. We are then introduced to Cordelia’s new colleagues Jane and Mavis and regulars of the library. Together they work well coming up with ideas on how the library can help the community and with that enters doctor Robert Fernsby who uses one of their rooms as a surgery for the people of Silver Town.   This book was wonderful and was so easy to read and I raced through it.  I absolutely loved it and I'm delighted that it is the first in a new series and I can't wait to hear what happens next to the Library Girls Of the East End....

  **This book came out in November, but I've only just got round to reading and reviewing it! If you got any book vouchers for Christmas, this is ideal!! The Last Train Home written by Elle Cook   Running for last tube train, Abbie just makes it as the doors slide shut, and this is where her destiny changes. After a flirty, tipsy conversation with Tom, who is also on the train, suddenly both their lives change forever after the tube derails. The start of the story is in 2005 and we follow Abbie and Tom for many years to see how their intertwined lives pan out. A real “will they, won’t they” story with a “Sliding Doors” vibe thrown in for good measure. A wonderful read which makes you think you know what’s going to happen and how their lives will pan out, and then a curve ball is thrown at you. Will make you laugh and cry in equal measures.